Suspected Cultists Shot College Student Dead In Epe, Lagos

Some suspected cult members have killed a final year student of the Michael Otedola College of Education Epe, Lagos, Egwedo Josiah.

The cultists, said to belong to the Eiye Confraternity, reportedly shot the 24-year-old while he was returning to his hostel after buying a pack of noodles.

Our correspondent learnt that the Delta State indigene was killed for allegedly abusing the leader of the gang sometime ago.

It was gathered that on the fateful day, the cultists waylaid him around 8pm.

He was said to have been taken to a dark spot on the campus, while the leader of the gang, one Segun Perry, asked him to open his mouth.

Perry was said to have inserted a locally-made gun into Josiah’s mouth and fired a shot which killed him.

PUNCH Metro learnt that after the Epe Police Division was alerted to the incident, investigations led to the arrest of a student of the institution, 21-year-old Segun Adebayo, and a bricklayer, Azeez Tondunmo.

The suspects were said to have been members of the killer squad of the gang who carried out the operation.

However, the key suspect and leader of the gang, who is on the run, had been declared wanted by the police authorities.

Segun and Adebayo were arraigned before an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court on three counts of murder and belonging to an unlawful society.

The police prosecutor, Corporal Cyriacus Osuji told the court that the offence was contrary to sections 231, 221 and 42 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

Osuji asked the court to remand the defendants in prison pending the release of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

He said, “We apply for the remand of the defendants in prison pursuant to Section 264 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011. The defendants, it must be noted, have already confessed to the crime.”

The defence counsel, F.S. Oladele and Imelda Adebambo, objected to the remand application.

The magistrate, E.O. Ogunkanmi, upheld Osuji’s application, adding that the two suspects be remanded in prison for the first 30 days permitted by law while awaiting the outcome of the DPP’s advice.

The matter was adjourned till June 23 for legal advice.